Two men in their twenties appeared before the Correctional Court in Mechelen on Monday, accused of committing a technical support scam.
On 31 July 2024, an 83-year-old woman reported being scammed. A person claiming to work at the bank has called on her landline phone.
Shortly after, a seeming bank representative came to collect her bank card. It was later revealed that a call was made from a Polish number.
According to the prosecutor, suspicious transactions were quickly identified following her report.
These included withdrawals of €650 and €100, purchases totalling €500, and 19 PaySafe cards worth €75 each. A woman lost around €2,500 in total.
Investigations pointed to two young men on a scooter, who were caught on camera at ATMs and shops linked to the fraudulent transactions. Months later, police conducted searches at their residences.
The first suspect initially denied any involvement but later claimed he had been coerced into committing the crimes under threat. He also named a person as his supervisor, but authorities found no evidence to substantiate this claim.
This man was also connected to an incident in Ghent where he allegedly defrauded someone via Facebook Marketplace. He again claimed he had acted under duress.
The second suspect, the scooter driver, denied knowing anything about the fraud.
Prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison sentence and a €4,000 fine for the first man and fifteen months in prison with a €1,600 fine for the second.
Both defendants requested community service, a proposal the prosecution did not oppose. A verdict is expected in four weeks.
